Cafe Nero, Springfields Outlet Centre, Lincolnshire. A scone-free report.
We hadn’t expected much from the day as we had an electrician coming round to give us a quote and British Gas would only tell us it was between 8.00 and 1.00. Fortunately he texted ahead and arrived just after 9.00. The news was not good – we need to declutter a lot more before they can start ripping floorboards up to rewire.
That left us at a loose end by 10.00 so we set off to look for adventure, This is “adventure” as we now define it, rather than how we used to define it. Standing on one leg to put my trousers on is dangerous enough for me, so we set off to seek lunch and relaxation.
In the car we discussed our spending. Julia is feeling guilty about the amount she spends on herself – which is basically gym membership and hair appointments. She worked it out as £3,000 a year. She really is a bear of very little brain – cute but rubbish at mental arithmetic. The true cost of this spending was, as I pointed out, just £600 a year. Having saved us £2,400 I felt quite good about things. This also diverted attention from my eBay habit, which has been getting out of hand recently.
At Springfields we had a look round The Works and confirmed that the stock situation is woeful, before deciding to have a coffee. Considering our earlier conversation, this ironic as coffee is one of the hidden costs of modern life.
Two Coffees
Cafe Nero seemed rather empty, to say it was lunch time.
The coffee – the cheapest they had, was just under £5 for the two of us. If we do that once a week it will cost us £250 in a year, which is a lot of haircuts.
We didn’t have anything to eat. The staff were neither good nor bad. They let dogs in. The one that came in whined a lot then dog and master went to sit outside. Fair enough – better than tying it up outside. Chairs are comfortable. Snacks looked well presented but we were saving our appetites so didn’t have anything.
They now have a vegan range, which seems to be the new fashion. You may be expecting some sarcastic comment about vegans, evolutionary dead ends and modern fashions, but you will be disappointed. I like vegans.
Though I couldn’t eat a whole one.
Cafe Nero Vegan Menu
The sound you hear when viewing the vegan menu is that of a bandwagon being jumped on. Once Gregg’s went for the vegan sausage roll, everyone followed.
All in all, nothing to rave about and nothing to complain about. It’s a more leisurely atmosphere than Costa Coffee further down the centre, and I enjoyed the break.
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You and Julia been away for a while. All OK?
Just back today – WordPress locked me out and it took some time getting in touch with them and sorting it out. Other than that we are OK thanks.
A place to go and warm oneself, use facilities, and maybe have one of the offerings to eat. I like places like that!
🙂 They have much to recommend them.
It’s a long time since I went to Springfield’s….. but was just talking to my dad at Christmas about going again. I can’t remember any of the cafés though.
I’m glad British Gas (was it?) didn’t keep you waiting all morning.
There are a lot of new cafes at Springfields, and more to come with the planned expansion.
It’s a pleasant enough day out, though the shops aren’t as interesting as they used to be and trhe garden centyre is really a massive gift shop.
Oh, I see. So maybe not worth a visit now….
Probably best to wait until they expand. I will keep you posted.
Thank you 😊
Dunkin has a vegan sausage, and it is delicious. Maybe we old dogs can learn new tricks?
I started having a meat free day a short time before I started this blog, so I am able to learn new tricks.
I’m just not convinced about veganism.
Veganism, as opposed to being a vegetarian, is very hard. Working to cut back our dairy consumption and are having pretty good results. Don’t think that we’ll ever cut it out entirely. But who knows?
I started by cutting back on meat, then looked at dairy. I can cut back without too much trouble, but I’d find it difficult to start giving things up because my heart really isn’t in it. I’m certainly not planning on cutting out eggs and honey.
I hear you. I LOVE eggs and would have a hard time giving them up. Even though they are more expensive, I buy eggs that come from places approved by the Humane Society.
To be honest, that’s more effort than a lot of people make. I’m all in favour of small steps because they are easier and more likely to become a habit. If I turned vegan it would probably last a week but going to a couple of meatless days has now become part of our lifestyle and it would be hard to go back to not doing it.
I wish I could save money just by doing sums
Yes, it would be nice to have a pocketful of banknotes as a result. 🙂
Fascinated by the idea that dogs are allowed into cafes, here in Australia that is not allowed at all, if you are really lucky you can find cafes that allow dogs outside. Quercus you remind me of the the importance of making sure dogs are well behaved. At least the owner went outside with the dog.
Last time we were in the uk we stopped at a cafe on the coast can’t remember exact name and location but it was a rainy day and the cafe was absolutely packed and it seemed every second table had a dog and a wet dog at that. I didn’t mind I kind of like dogs but I could see how that would not appeal to most people.
I once cut my husband’s hair for him just before he went of on an army reserve camp, I was never allowed to do it again, he looked worse than a convict.
Good luck with the rewiring it sounds ominous.
It was a responsible owner and a well-trained dog. The re-wiring will be a good thing.
It ism fortunate that hair grows back again. 🙂
Ripping up floorboards to rewire does not sound like a fun project. What happened that you needed rewiring?
Short version – the house was built in 1926 and still has the original wiring. I should have had it done before I moved in, but I was in a rush to start new job based in Nottingham.
Since Mrs T cuts my hair for a very modest fee and i don’t like coffee house coffee (over roasted for my taste), I am on the economical side as far as cuts and cups go but the money all goes on newspapers instead (about £550 pa).
I cut my own hair. I look like a convict but it is very cheap. I gave up papers a couple of years ago as prices kept rising and I rarely read much. Front few pages, back few pages and obituaries. Don’t really miss them as TV and internet keep me informed.